Sometimes I'm really thankful for social media. It is much easier to discover bands through all these platforms. One of the bands that I recently discovered through Facebook, because of a lot of my Finnish friends were sharing their video of "Dance" is MYRATH, a progressive metal act from Tunisia, or as the band likes to describe the genre blazing desert metal. Totally enchanted by "Dance", I needed to get my hands on their next album "Shehili", coming out on 3 May 2019 through earMUSIC. 

As a reviewer who focuses mostly on the Finnish metal scene, I have to admit that I have very little knowledge about the North African metal scene. It is just that very little promos reach my way from those regions. But it's those countries who have a rich and interesting history, who have those beautiful Oriental melodies, that would fit perfectly in metal music. Since discovering MYRATH, I have since discovered a whole bunch of super cool bands, that I would have otherwise perhaps never known about. 

Maybe that historical aspect and the perfect integration of those traditional folk melodies is what attracted me to listen to MYRATH. Already from the first second you get drawn in by this Oriental atmosphere, that is initiated by a traditional chant in "Asl". The track easily transitions into "Born To Survive", which immediately sets up for a strong start. From the first second it's clear that MYRATH's sound is quite complex: melodic vocals surround a progressive sound that's infused by those Oriental traditional sounds, and amongst those melodies are also a lot of symphonic elements that make this album sound huge. Yet, the album does sound quite organic. The song has a great solo, that somehow incorporates the right mood of the song. Starting with intense riffs, "You've Lost Yourself" continues in this energetic way, the song slows down in the chorus, and lets vocalist Zaher shine. "Dance" is a very stark contrast to what metal represents, perhaps this is the most light song that I have ever heard. It's catchy, poppy, and it really makes you want to dance, and then it also tells a very deep story. This song can appeal to just about anyone who is open to metal music. The album continues in the same way, with a lot of strong moments, easy to the ear, and surprisingly uplifting. Usually ballads make me uneasy, I just don't like slow songs, but "Stardust" was a magical song that really moved me. The album ends with the title-track "Shehili", which really did feel like a "an ancient wind, coming all the way from the dunes of Sahara. The gentle caress of amore."

In high school I was taught that while not the largest or driest of the deserts, the Sahara has a major influence on weather across the Western Hemisphere, and that's exactly the effect that MYRATH's sound has on me. "Shehili" trickles sand particles carried on dry, hot winds, with its oriental-infused blazing desert metal, that will instantly melt the hearts of those facing it, they won't know what hit them! Definitely one of the albums of the year!

"Shehili" trickles sand particles carried on dry, hot winds, with its oriental-infused blazing desert metal, that will instantly melt the hearts of those facing it, they won't know what hit them!